WI2- What if the Mutiny Succeeded?
by Jasmin Kenobi
Summary: Commander Soleta has been turned on by her crew. But when Admiral Elizabeth Shelby and the Romulan renegades get involved, things start going haywire. Their only escape happens to be the Smuggler's Guild on the other side of a wormhole guarded jealously by Praetor Tal'aura's forces. What can they do? Turn to Mackenzie Calhoun, of course!
1. Chapter 1

**AN- So the idea for this story came to me randomly as I was reading Missing In Action for the billionth time. I decided to try a story where Lucius's mutiny against Soleta worked. Just go along with it here while I work out the kinks. *This has nothing to do with any of my other stories!* I just had a crazy random idea that I wanted to try. That is all!**

Chapter One

_"Simply this: Execute Alpha Omega."_

_ Lucius laughed, "I already accounted for that, Legate. Your control over the computer systems has been erased completely. I will grant you that you are rather clever, but your computer skills will get you nowhere if the computer refuses to recognize your authority."_

_ Soleta let a rather vulgar curse slip loose, "Well, seeing as you are so very clever, Tribune, how did you bypass the triple redundancy helixes preventing such an action from occurring?"_

_ Lucius smirked, "I put the computer through a series of cleansing protocols that reset the computer back into construction mode, which erased all of your little programs. Very convenient how you never bothered to use these programs before you ended up in the brig."_

_ He heard Soleta sigh softly, "Timing, Tribune. It's all about timing."_

_ "You have been beaten, Legate. Admit to your defeat and death will be swift and merciful," Lucius demanded._

_ "Go to hell!" she replied defiantly, "Do you think you scare me at all? I have faced gods and won. What makes you think that you will affect my judgment in the slightest way?"_

_ "Skill, Legate," Lucius replied calmly._

_ "You think you are safe," Soleta replied darkly, "You are not. You allow yourself to be lulled into a false sense of safety. I will succeed in regaining command. As I told Captain Mueller, I will be damned if I let my first command end in surrender. So, shall we begin?"_

_ Lucius felt a slight tremor of fear before he locked it down in the deepest parts of his mind._

_ Soleta said one more thing that truly worried him before cutting the channel from the brig to the bridge, "Remember who you are dealing with, Lucius."_

_ He sat back in his chair, "Well, Vitus, set a course for Romulus. Best possible speed. Execute."_

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Soleta shot bolt upright on the metal slab that served as her bed at the moment. A centurion stood at the door to her cell, a mix of pity and hatred in his eyes. He slid a tray of food over to her and left as quickly as he had arrived. Soleta looked around at the bare stone walls of her cell. Since their arrival at Romulus, Lucius and her crew had been welcomed back with open arms. She, however, had been thrown in a cell and left to rot; only getting food and water once a day.

As she picked at her foul-smelling sludge that was her meal for the day, she noticed a shadow outside the window of her cell. Tal'aura had been kind enough to give her a cell with a decent view of Ki Baratan, the capital of the Romulan Empire.

As she stepped over to the window, she saw that the shadow was a man, with dark hair and dark eyes; he appeared to be a perfectly normal Romulan. But Soleta knew he wasn't. The only question was what was Ambassador Spock doing so close to a prison facility, and at her window?

"What are you doing here?" she hissed. He didn't reply, he simply flicked a small package into her cell and went on his way. Her window was at ground level, so people could stare at the person trapped in the cell and feel pity for the poor soul who would never be allowed free again. She stuck the package down her shirt as Praetor Tal'aura herself appeared at her cell door.

"How kind of you to travel all the way down here just to see little old me," Soleta greeted the other woman snidely.

"I only came down here to inform you that your execution is in three hours. I hope that you don't embarrass yourself too badly," Tal'aura said formally before turning and leaving.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Soleta replied to thin air. She turned and lay down on her cot with her back to the door. She pulled the small package out of her shirt and unwrapped it. It turned out to be a small hand phaser and a comm device. She had just finished tinkering with the comm device when a trio of armed men arrived to escort her to her impending appointment with death. They led her out to Victory Square, where she was to be executed. She palmed the hilt of the phaser in her hand from its hiding spot in her sleeve.

"I am sure you are aware of your crimes, Commander Soleta," Praetor Tal'aura said calmly, "This is being broadcast throughout the Empire and the Federation, so your family may see how far the mighty can fall."

"If I may correct you, Praetor, I don't have any family. I only have my friends," Soleta said conversationally. She was smacked across the face for that.

"It does not matter," Tal'aura replied, "Because you will die, and they will watch."

That was when Soleta saw Ambassador Spock. He lifted his hand, fingers raised, and began a countdown.

"Centurions, on your marks!"

_Five_

The centurions lined up and aimed at her.

_Four_

"Ready!"

_Three_

"Aim!"

_Two_

"Fire!"

_One_

Soleta leapt into action, just as the armed soldiers fired at her. She ducked their fire and shot her restraints off using the hidden phaser. Civilians suddenly had disruptors, including Ambassador Spock, who had disguised himself with forehead ridges. The square became a battle ground. Tal'aura was escorted out of the square by her personal guard. A Romulan man appeared by Soleta and they went back to back, shooting her would-be killers.

"Come with me," he hissed. She obeyed and followed him into an alley, where they disappeared underground into the catacombs beneath Ki Baratan.

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Tania Tobias was the only one to give a cry of shock when Soleta was the person they dragged onto the plaza to be executed. They were all watching the feed from Romulus.

Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the _USS Excalibur_ and his Alpha-shift bridge crewmembers could only stare at the screen. Calhoun almost gave a sigh of relief when he saw the plaza erupt into an armed conflict. He lost track of Soleta on the screen and when the feed ended, he had no idea where she went.

"Holy shit," was the only thing said on the bridge. That came from their new science officer, Xy. Usually, the unflappable Vulcan genes he carried prevented him from saying such a thing, but this was an exception.

"Sir! Message from Bravo Station!" a young man at communication called out to him. Calhoun nodded for him to put it though.

Admiral Elizabeth Shelby appeared on screen. She looked stunned. Captain Katerine Mueller of the _USS Trident_ stood beside her, looking murderous.

"Elizabeth, Kat," he greeted the women. Mueller nodded tersely while Elizabeth looked at him with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"_So, Mac,_" she said nonchalantly, "_How about possible starting a war by going and getting Soleta?"_

"Sounds like fun," Calhoun said. They plotted extensively, getting input from their crews. Soon, the crew members of the _Trident_ and the _Excalibur_, along with Bravo Station, were ready to act. All they needed were a few more ships. They were going to get them real soon. Calhoun, Mueller, and Shelby each picked a ship to contact from a list of seven ships that they had narrowed down to three.

War was coming. They would be ready for it when it did.

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Captain Jean-Luc Picard studied the personnel files extensively. It had taken some time, but he had gotten the choices for new communications officers down. One was already on the _Enterprise_, while the other was a recent graduate from Starfleet Academy and was looking for a posting on a ship, any ship.

He took one last look at the files before he summoned the first into his Ready Room. Ensign Jordan Chase walked in, looking very nervous.

"Hello, Ensign Chase. I understand that your current qualifications are in the Medical area?"

"Yes, sir. I have been studying Communications for some time, though, so, um, I was hoping to get the Beta-shift position, sir," the young human man said.

Picard smiled, "I expect to see you at Beta-shift tomorrow, sitting at the communications station."

Ensign Chase smiled with joy, "Yes sir! I promise I won't let you down!"

"I wouldn't expect you to. Dismissed."

Chase left, leaving Picard to call in the next one. When she walked in, Picard was surprised by how young she was. Her red hair was tied up in a long ponytail and she didn't look the least bit nervous.

"Ensign Romanova," he greeted her, "It says here that you wish to apply for the Alpha-shift communications officer."

"Da, sir," she said, her Russian accent thick, "I hawe all my qualifications leested in my file, Keptin."

"I just have a few questions for you, Ensign," he said, "It doesn't give your actual age in your file. I know it says you are thirty, but I can tell that you are barely twenty, let alone thirty. Would you care to tell me your actual age and why you concealed it?"

She barely hesitated, "I am tventy years old, Keptin. I deed not vant to tell anyvone, but you clearly saw my real age. Ze Academy has a streect age limit for some of ze classes I vanted to take, so I vould not hawe been allowed to take zem. I had to lie so I could get my full certification in ze Communications department."

"While I do not appreciate the lie, Ensign, I can understand wanting to get a full degree ahead of time. Welcome aboard the _Enterprise_, Ensign Romanova," he said. She smiled.

"Zank you, Keptin. I vill be on ze bridge," she replied.

"Dismissed."

When she left, he turned to his computer screen, which had started to display the Romulan Star Empire's national symbol. He watched in horror as a young Romulan woman was led out onto a plaza to be publicly executed. When she said that she had no family, only her friends, Picard was stunned. Few were so bold as to correct a Praetor when said leader was speaking.

Just as the centurions were about to fire, she ducked and pulled out a hidden phaser. The plaza erupted into armed conflict quickly. Picard lost track of the woman in the ensuing melee, but knew she was safe. As soon as the message was over, he jumped out of his seat and hurried out of his Ready Room, to see his crew staring at the viewscreen, where the last image of the message still hung.

Commander Worf's expression was cold, "I know her. She was a Starfleet science officer. Why would she be executed for treason against the Romulan Empire?"

"_I think I can answer that, Commander,_" the all-too familiar voice of Captain Mackenzie Calhoun replied. The Xenexian captain smirked as he watched the expressions play out across the faces of Picard's officers. Even Beverly Crusher, who had just stepped onto the bridge, stared in shock.

"Really?" Worf asked snidely, which was unusual for him, "Why would Lieutenant Soleta be within Romulan territory in the first place?"

_"Because she is half-Romulan,_" Calhoun's science officer quipped, "_In fact, she was a commander under Praetor Hiren's rule, but was ousted by her own officers after they were attacked by their own ships. If I am correct, Captain, the person who initially started the shooting in the crowd is… Ambassador Spock?"_

Picard was shocked, "Do they know each other?"

"_Yes, actually. As Soleta tells it, she was captured in Thallonian space, back when Thallon actually existed. It was Ambassador Spock who busted her out, along with the help of Lord Si Cwan,_" Calhoun said with a small grin, "_But, that's not what I called about, Jean-Luc, and you know it. Tal'aura's message was clear. She wants the Federation gone. How would you like to participate in a mutiny against Starfleet Command and rally to stop Tal'aura from making good on that threat?_"

"Whose banner would we be rallying under?" Picard asked warily, gaining himself confused stares from his crew and an incredulous look from Beverly.

"_For now, Eppy's. If we can convince her to join our little rebel band, Admiral Tucker,_" Calhoun said with a grin, "_Eppy's not too pleased about being in command of this whole situation. But we both agree that it's FUBAR._"

"Well, then you aren't wrong. Who all is in your little 'rebel band' so far?"

"_We've got seventeen ships so far. The _Trident_, the _Excalibur_, and about fifteen civilian ships looking for some action. In fact, we expect that number to triple after we get done making a deal with the rebels in Romulan space. Apparently, rumor has it that you know one of the leaders,_" Calhoun said.

"Really?" he asked, "I doubt it."

Calhoun snorted derisively, "_Don't sell yourself short, Jean-Luc. I would hope you recognize the name of Commander Donatra, as rumor also has it that she helped you defeat Shinzon, along with a few of her friends, like Commander Suran._"

"That is a name I recall. How many ships do they have between them?" Picard asked.

Calhoun shrugged, "_About sixty, give or take a few._"

Beverly rocked back on her heels behind Picard, "That is more than triple, Captain Calhoun. In fact, you would have what some would consider an armada."

_"Eppy seems to think so," _he replied calmly.

"Who is 'Eppy'?" Worf asked as a blond woman in an Admiral's uniform appeared on screen behind Calhoun. Her curly hair was what identified her as Elizabeth Shelby, the woman who had been the _Enterprise's_ first officer when Picard was taken by the Borg.

"_Mac, what the hell is taking you so long? You're starting to piss Kat off and we both know how dangerous that can be. This is the only comm terminal open. Civilians have jammed the rest for security purposes. Who would've thought that a small cargo ship had a military grade communication jammer?_" Shelby said, "_Now get the hell off the comm, Mac._"

Calhoun sighed, "_Captain Picard, I'm sure you have already met my charming wife, Elizabeth Shelby._"

Shelby glared at him and smacked him upside the head before replying, "_Hello Captain. I apologize for Mac. He can be an idiot most of the time._"

Calhoun's ops officer snickered at that before being silenced by a look from Calhoun's Hermat first officer.

"Hello, Admiral. I can understand why he would be. Now where are we meeting for this little rebellion of yours?" he said, with a perfect poker face expression. Beverly smiled and put a hand on his shoulder briefly before stepping over to the science station and sitting down. They still didn't have a science officer yet, but Picard would find one soon.

Shelby gestured around her, "_Bravo Station. I hope you know your way here, Captain?_"

"Absolutely. I will see you there in two days, Admiral," Picard replied before cutting the link. Worf frowned at him.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Yes, Worf, I am. Helm, best possible speed to Bravo Station," he ordered.

"Course acknowledged, sir," Lieutenant Joanna Faur replied.

"Engage."

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Counselor Deanna Troi knew something was wrong before they saw the transmission from Romulus. What in the world would cause Praetor Tal'aura to want to kill a commander who couldn't be more than forty years old, which was young for a Romulan?

Deanna's husband, Captain William Riker muttered a curse as he tried to answer the question they were all thinking. Something flashed across his eyes when the plaza erupted into a melee. He laughed shortly before leaning back.

"I don't think we need to worry about Commander Soleta. She'll be fine," Will said, glancing at Deanna.

She read the question in his eyes instantly, "No, I only sense confusion from the crew members, specifically the ones who just saw that."

"How do you know the Romulan commander?" Commander Christine Vale asked. As the first officer of the _Titan_, one of her main duties was keeping Will in check when necessary.

"She was Calhoun's science officer when we encountered them while they were absconding with a prisoner that they were supposed to hand over to the Selelvians. If my memory is correct, it was in a later battle with the Tholians and Selelvians that she was discovered to be half Romulan. The only reason they found out was because she had tried to save an Admiral's life," Will explained, "Rumor has it that Calhoun almost followed her out of Starfleet, but settled for putting the head counselor at Starfleet Medical in the hospital."

Vale shrugged, "Well, at least the head counselor wasn't killed. He has that to be grateful for."

"You have a strange sense of humor, Commander Vale," Commander Tuvok noted from his station.

"Captain Riker!" Sir, there's a transmission for you from Bravo Station. It's Admiral Shelby!" the comm officer called out.

"Onscreen," Will ordered. Deanna expected to see the male Shelby, who had been a captain last she had heard. She never expected to see a face with blue eyes framed by frizzy blond hair.

"Elizabeth!" Will greeted her, surprised, "An Admiral already?"

"_It seems like it, Captain_," Elizabeth Shelby said in return, "_I seem to have need of the _Titan_, but I want this mission to be your choice. I'm sure you saw the transmission from the Romulan Empire and probably saw beneath Tal'aura's crap. So let me sum it up for you. If we don't do something, Tal'aura plans to bring down the Federation. What we plan will involve going rogue and kicking some Romulan ass. Are you in?"_

"Who is 'we'?" Tuvok asked cautiously.

Shelby nodded towards the pair of bickering captains behind her. One was a blond human woman with her hair tied up in a bun. The other was a man with purple eyes and a prominent scar.

Shelby turned and yelled at them, "_Kat, Mac, stop acting like children and come here. NOW!"_

Deanna's eyes widened at Shelby's tone, "She seems to have adjusted to her new job well."

Shelby heard that as well as the rest of the bridge crew of the _Titan_.

"_Well, when you have to put up with these two, yes, you have to adjust quickly. Now, Mac, Kat, what the hell were you arguing about now?"_ Shelby demanded of the two captains. Kat shrugged and looked at Mac.

"_Best plans of action for kicking the shit out of Tal'aura,_" Mac answered, completely honest. Kat muttered a curse. Shelby shrugged.

"_Okay,_" she said, "_Anyway, Captain, are you in?"_

Will turned to the rest of the crew, "What do you think?"

Deanna and Christine nodded. Tuvok gave his assent with a warning about the dangers to their careers. The rest of the bridge crew quickly followed suit in agreeing with Admiral Shelby's plan.

"Well, there you have it, Admiral," Will said. Shelby smiled.

"_Welcome aboard, Captain. I expect you at Bravo Station within three days. Shelby out."_

Deanna smiled at Will, "That was probably the best choice to make, considering the circumstances. Knowing Captain Picard, when he hears of this, he'll be there too."

"Of course he will," her husband said, "He will do anything for the Federation. And for his crew."

The helmsman plotted the course to Bravo Station and they were on their way, leaving behind two very confused civilian science vessels.

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

"_We only mean to save the Federation, Admiral. Perhaps you can help us."_

Admiral T'Mir Tucker of the _USS Surak_ leaned back in the command chair and looked at the speaker incredulously.

"What made you think I would not help?" she asked. Her first officer stared at her with surprise.

"Admiral?" Commander George Wheeler asked her.

"Commander, I already watched one government fall to its own stupidity and corruption. I will not let another fall in a similar way," she said softly. Understanding flashed across Wheeler's face.

He stood straight, in perfect parade rest, "Admiral, I believe I speak for the rest of the crew when I say to hell with Starfleet Command and the Federation Council. Let's make them grateful for the free thinkers we are. Maybe then, they'll realize their stupidity in keeping starships on tight leashes."

T'Mir gave a small smile, "Well said, Commander. Captain Mueller, expect us at Bravo Station in three days. I look forward to being able to save a government from its own selfish desires."

The blond human woman smiled slightly and nodded, "_I look forward to it as well. Bravo Station out."_

Wheeler grinned, "Let's have some fun, Admiral, huh?"

"Vulcans do not have 'fun', Commander," she replied, "But in this case, I believe I will."

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

President Nanietta Bacco sat at her desk and stared at the padd in front of her. Several ships had been reported missing by Starfleet Command. The list of ships included the _Enterprise_, the _Titan_, the _Trident_, the _Surak_, the _Excalibur_, and numerous civilian ships that all had one thing in common. All of the civilian ships had been docked at Space Station Bravo, which was under the command of one Admiral Elizabeth Shelby, a known renegade.

It was rumored that Shelby was close to the Romulan woman who had almost been executed today on Romulus. Maybe that had a clue within it.

Esperanza Piniero walked in, holding a padd of her own, which she deposited on Bacco's desk.

"Intercepted transmissions from Bravo Station to the missing Starfleet ships," Piniero announced, "You need to see this."

Bacco took a look at the padd, and was shocked. Bravo Station had communicated with the _Titan, Enterprise, _and the _Surak_. Each communication was transmitted from the station by a different person. One was Admiral Shelby herself, to the _Titan_, while another was from Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the _Excalibur_ to the _Enterprise_. The final one was from Captain Katerine Mueller of the _Trident_ to the _Surak_. Each transmission sang the same song.

"Shelby appears to be staging a full-out rebellion, Madam President," Admiral Leonard James Akaar told Bacco plainly, "She does have a few spots on her record, but we never thought her capable of this. We believe that Admiral T'Mir Tucker of the _Surak_ will take over when the _Surak_ arrives at Bravo Station, with Tucker being the most senior officer."

"Why?" Bacco asked, looking up.

"We believe that it is because of the recent execution attempt on Romulus. Commander Soleta is a former Starfleet officer from Calhoun's ship. She saved Admiral Shelby's life in the most recent war, which led to her true nature being discovered. Shelby has connection in many places. This could be the result of that. I suggest we hunt them down and end this before it begins, Madam President," Akaar said with determination in his voice.

"Esperanza?" Bacco asked the other woman. She gave a small shrug. Bacco sighed.

"Do what you have to, Admiral Akaar. Just make sure the public doesn't know. If this gets out, things could turn very much to the worse," Bacco ordered.

Akaar nodded and left quickly.

"What has this Federation come to?" Bacco asked Piniero plainly. Piniero had no answer for her.

**AN- So this is the start of a revolution. For those of you who may complain about my other stories, I find it my job here to screw up canon. Don't ever tell me that something didn't happen in canon or someone didn't do that in canon. I will have to reach through the interwebs just to punch you in the face. So please refrain from telling me how to write. Canon can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. I like to enjoy my own writing style and methods. Thank you to those who have been very patient with me. I hope no one is too pissed off at me for taking too long.**


	2. Chapter 2

Soleta stared at the woman in front of her incredulously. Commander Donatra of the _Valdore_ seemed willing to place money on the fact that Tal'aura was preparing a fleet to attack the Federation.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Soleta cried out. Commander Suran favored her with a cold look of reproach from his spot next to Donatra.

"I assure you, Commander Soleta, were I out of my mind, the medical officer aboard would have determined it by now," Donatra said calmly in an almost Vulcan-like manner.

"Damn straight I would have. You're not out of your mind yet, so no worries there for the time being," another woman said from her spot staring out of the viewport. She looked uncannily like Commander Donatra in many ways.

Soleta sat back in her seat, folding her arms across her chest, "I really don't think that this will help. How can we even get into Federation territory without getting blown to hell?"

The man who had saved her chose to speak at that moment. Admiral Braeg was perfectly calm when he gave his opinion.

"We are currently en route to the Federation outpost known as Space Station Bravo. We were actually hoping you could speak to Admiral Shelby to gain us a berth there so we may give our assistance to their new movement."

Again, Soleta stared, "Bullshit. What new movement?"

Suran spoke next, "Admiral Shelby is in command of a task force of renegade ships to specifically stop Tal'aura from achieving her goals."

Soleta sighed, "You would be better off contacting _Excalibur_ for such a purpose. Admiral Shelby will most likely be there."

The three rogue leaders gave her looks of surprise.

"What?" Soleta demanded, "I sure as hell hope that she would be at least talking to her husband. And knowing Captain Calhoun, he will be all for this new movement you speak of. What ships are in it?"

"Bravo Station is in charge of the _Excalibur_, the _Trident_, the _Titan,_ the _Enterprise_, and the _Surak_, along with an assortment of various civilian ships. I believe that the _Voyager_ just disappeared along with Admiral Janeway and most of the former crewmembers to join this movement."

The speaker was the doctor by the window. She turned and started pacing.

"Maya, knock it off," Donatra ordered. The doctor scowled but stopped pacing and took a seat by Suran, on the opposite end of the table from Braeg.

"So, Commander Soleta, what would you say to being given the _Deskiyr_ to command temporarily?" Braeg asked. Soleta gave a short laugh that seemed to startle all of the occupants of the room, including the two security uhlanu.

"Of course. I would personally like to blow Tal'aura to hell when the time comes," Soleta replied. Braeg and Donatra exchanged a quick glance, which Soleta definitely picked up on. For God's sake, it was the same look Calhoun used to give Shelby all the time, the look that preceded them being late to their posts the next morning.

Suran raised an eyebrow but said nothing when he saw the look. Maya sighed and put her head in her hands.

"I think the other commanders are vying for that task as well, Commander Soleta," Suran said quickly.

"I would guess so. But I'm the only one with an honest death wish. Hell, I was almost killed yesterday because that woman tried to have me killed. The only reason I'm still alive is because you guys found some use for me in your little gang. That's it!" Soleta snapped. The others had been patient with her so far, but the doctor was the one who broke first.

"Hey, Commander!" she snapped, her dark eyes flashing with anger, "I get it, you almost got blown to hell less than twenty four hours ago, but look around. I know we've all been though hell like that. If we fail, we all will be blown to hell by a firing squad. You're no different, you just ended up on her list earlier than the rest of us. So dig your head out of your ass and focus on the task at hand! I know for a fact I don't put up with this bullshit from even Mac, so I know you ain't getting no special treatment from any of us!"

Soleta almost busted up laughing at the doctor's brashness, "I would expect so. Captain Calhoun might need that no-nonsense approach to things."

"Excuse me?" Braeg asked, clearly confused.

"Mac. That's Captain Calhoun's 'nickname'. Admiral Shelby calls him that frequently," Soleta replied, trying to keep some annoyance tamped down.

"Really," Donatra said quietly, "Maya, I had no idea you know Captain Calhoun."

"I only saved his ass from being killed by a Tal Shiar power jockey once. Nothing big, you know," Maya replied.

"Well that's a feat in its own right. The Mackenzie Calhoun I know is far too stubborn to accept help from anyone, let alone admit someone saved his ass," Soleta replied, acting as if the doctor hadn't just chewed her out completely, "If you will excuse me, I believe I will go visit the mess hall."

She walked out and instead of going to the mess hall; she went straight to her quarters, where she attempted to use Vulcan meditation to sort out her conflicting emotion. God, she was a hell of a mess.

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Kathryn Janeway couldn't help but to pace. It had become as much a habit as drinking coffee was to her. Chakotay glared at her from the tactical station of the _Voyager_. With Tuvok on the _Titan_, they didn't dare contact him. Kathryn didn't know if Riker had agreed to the rebellion or not.

"Please stop pacing, Admiral. You'll wake the baby," B'Elanna Torres snapped from the Engineering station. She was sitting down in a chair that had been hastily bolted to the deck a few minutes ago, holding baby Miral in her arms, trying to keep the sleeping child from waking up and screaming loudly, as was her habit.

Kathryn said nothing, but slumped in her chair. She had grown up basically breathing Starfleet rules and doctrine, and here she was, abandoning all of that to fight beside a woman she barely knew. She only had T'Jaia's word that Admiral Shelby was trustworthy.

Speaking of the Romulan doctor, she had just stepped out of the turbolift holding a datapad and heading straight for Kathryn. This couldn't be good.

"Kathryn, tell me. How long did you think you could keep this hidden from the doctors at Starfleet Medical? Two years, maybe three?" T'Jaia said, her tone brokering no argument. Everyone on the bridge turned to stare at her.

"What is she talking about, Admiral?" Tom Paris asked, taking Miral from B'Elanna so the lieutenant commander could focus on her station.

"If you won't tell them, I will," T'Jaia threatened. Kathryn sighed and turned to face the others.

"There really is no easy way to say this, but I found out when we arrived back home that somehow, someone changed my genetics around at one point in my life. I have illegal genetic modifications that allow for my stamina to be greater than that of a regular person. There are also a few more surprises that it entails as well," Kathryn said, trying to conceal her nervousness.

"Considering the current circumstances, I don't think we have to worry about that. All of our careers are going to swirl down the drain when Command gets through with us," Harry Kim said optimistically from his station. T'Jaia rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't worry about it, Kathryn," B'Elanna said, "You're just an above average person. They can't prove anything."

"Thank for the support," Kathryn said just as Tom looked up.

"We're arriving at Bravo Station in thirty seconds, Admiral. Buckle up," he said, passing her the baby. Kathryn held Miral, confused as to what she should be doing with the baby girl.

"Hail them," she ordered, shifting the baby to a more comfortable position in her lap.

It was Admiral Shelby herself who answered. The blond woman turned around and noticed them instantly. It appeared as if she had been talking with one of the lieutenants, judging from his uniform.

"_Admiral Janeway. I'm glad to see you and your crew could make it. Is that?_" Shelby paused, unsure of what to say. Kathryn understood instantly.

"This is Miral Paris. I'm just holding her while her parents are working," she explained quickly. The lieutenant in the background smiled slightly, despite his clear Vulcan heritage.

_"May I introduce you to Lieutenant Xy, the science officer of the_ Excalibur_. He's going to help install a Romulan cloaking device on your shi-"_

_ "Not that long ago that I happened to be the science officer of the _Excalibur_. Sometimes I wonder what the hell happened to that."_

Kathryn watched as Shelby spun around to see the Romulan commander, a look of surprise and happiness spreading across her face. She watched with a smile as Commander Soleta smiled at Shelby.

_"Surprised to see me?"_ the Romulan woman asked sarcastically.

_"Damn straight I am. You scared the hell out of me, Soleta!"_ Shelby said indignantly, drawing a slight smile from the Romulan admiral standing slightly behind Soleta.

_"I have Admiral Braeg to thank for that. Without any of them, I'd be a mess of subatomic particles right now."_

"Indeed," Kathryn said drily, eliciting a snicker from Harry, which was silenced quickly by a glare from Chakotay. It was good to see some things would never change.

The whole reunion drew a snort from T'Jaia, but it was ignored by Shelby and the others. The Romulan woman was usually well-known for her bad manners, but sometimes she could be a softie.

Kathryn quietly ordered the channel cut and the _Voyager _docked at Bravo Station. B'Elanna took Miral back as they departed the ship. Because of the already crowded conditions on the relatively small station, they would be playing host to some of the Starfleet personnel that were already on the station. Many of the quarters on Bravo Station were being turned into impromptu weapons lockers, in case Starfleet Command ever discovered where they were. Chances were they already had.

Kathryn straightened her coat and made her way to the nearest turbolift. When she stepped onto the main command center, civilian technicians were everywhere, installing various illegal tech that they had picked up on their travels. Commander Soleta herself was even working.

The Romulan/Vulcan hybrid was halfway beneath the science station, working with a Bolian who gave her instructions on where to place what sounded like a high-powered scanning device. Admiral Shelby was talking with the Vulcan lieutenant, who looked about as Vulcan as the Bolian technician.

"Admiral!" Kathryn called out. Shelby turned and smiled.

"Admiral Janeway. I see you're a bit ahead of the plans," she remarked drily, noticing Kathryn's decidedly civilian attire.

"We decided not to come as Starfleet officers. The only thing that marks us as Federation personnel are the commbadges and rank pips that we decided to keep. I would suggest issuing all of the people here a communicator, just in case the main fleet hacks into our channels," Kathryn suggested. Shelby nodded.

"Excellent idea," she said as a technician called her over. Kathryn noticed a blinking indicator on an unmanned console and turned to investigate.

"Incoming ship, Admiral Shelby!" she called over to the other Admiral, who turned, "It appears to be the _Enterprise_. They're hailing us."

"Go ahead and put it through," Shelby ordered, clearly accustomed to command.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard appeared on-screen, accompanied by his bridge crew.

"_Admiral Shelby. It seems we managed to beat everyone else here,_" Picard said lightly.

Shelby gave a slight nod at Kathryn, who replied, "I have you there Captain. It seems you forgot to take into account my chief engineer's stubbornness."

"_Admiral Janeway_," Picard greeted her, "_I was unaware that you would be joining us here."_

"How could I miss it?" Kathryn deadpanned, drawing a laugh from Shelby. Picard smiled slightly.

"_Indeed,_" he said. He looked like he was about to say something else, but two more ships dropped out of warp and cut into the channel. On one side was Will Riker, captain of the _Titan_. Kathryn smiled, because behind him sat Tuvok.

On the other side was Admiral T'Mir Tucker of the _Surak_. Tucker was all of 5' 4", but still projected an air of confidence and authority. Some people had been rumored to tease her at the Academy for the unusual blond hair and blue eyes, but no one teased her anymore. Unless it was Lieutenant Talia Marcus, who sat at a console behind Shelby.

"Admiral Tucker, Captain Riker," Shelby greeted the newcomers. The Vulcan admiral inclined her head slightly, while Riker simply asked if he was late.

Shelby sighed in exasperation, "No, Captain, you're not late. In fact, you're ahead of the estimated arrival time. We were expecting you in about twelve hours."

"_Well, I guess that's a good thing, huh?_" Riker said with a smile, turning to look at the counselor by him and his first officer. Both rolled their eyes and gave each other a knowing look.

"_Hey, Captain Picard!_" Riker said to his former commanding officer. Counselor Troi gave her own greeting before cutting their side of the link and docking with the station.

Tucker lifted an eyebrow, which was met with a shrug from Shelby.

"_I will meet you at your present location as soon as the _Surak_ is docked and my crew are settled,_" Tucker said before closing her channel and beginning the docking process. _Enterprise_ had already cut communications and had docked a minute ago.

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Shelby called for all ship commanders to meet in Conference Room One immediately. Slowly over the course of thirty minutes, various Captains and Commanders trickled in. Many were forced to stand because of the lack of chairs around the small table, but they didn't complain. Tucker, Shelby, Commander Soleta, and Admiral Braeg were to speak at the meeting, so they had chairs by the makeshift podium, which was two cargo container stacked atop each other.

Commander Donatra leaned against the wall and surveyed the crowd. There were fifteen cargo ship pilots and their first officers, five starship captain and their first officers, four admirals, and three Romulan commanders in the room. All three had neglected to bring their first officers, due to the expected crowd. They had also ordered the other commanders to stay on their ships and had the meeting broadcast to the others from the security cameras in the conference room.

Shelby quickly called for attention and began the meeting without much of a preamble.

"As I'm sure many of you know, we have a bit of a situation here," she began. The Boomers laughed at that comment and one was heard muttering "A bit?" but Shelby ignored it.

"With this new threat from Praetor Tal'aura of the Romulan Star Empire, I can't think of anyone better to begin this than Admiral Braeg, who can only be called an 'expert' on this developing situation within the Empire."

With that, Shelby yielded the floor to Braeg, who stepped up and began his little spiel.

"Thank you, Admiral Shelby, for the introduction. I hope that this can be resolved quickly and quietly, with minimal bloodshed. It has been decided that each Starfleet ship will be receiving a cloaking device, because I am sure that many of you Boomers already have your own. If you do not, please speak with Commander Suran so that he may procure the devices for you to use."

That brought a few grumbles from the older Boomers, who knew what Romulan cloaking devices could do and did not like them. One spoke up.

"Why do we have to use those infernal things anyway?" Captain Elisa Mayweather asked snidely. Her family history suggested a massive dislike of anything Romulan, so this was no surprise.

"Because, Captain Mayweather, Starfleet Intelligence still cannot detect cloaking devices of Romulan origin, as we constantly change them, so they will not detect us. Even if they do, we can simply change the frequency and carry on," Braeg explained patiently. The fact that he never once lost his temper with such people was one of the many reasons Donatra loved him.

"Fine," she sighed, slouching in her chair.

"With the cloaking devices, we can mount raids on Tal'aura's assets and take them under our control, all the while being undetectable. Commanders Soleta and Donatra have been working on a way to fire weapons while cloaked. I believe they have come to a conclusion as to how to accomplish this. Commander Soleta?" Braeg finished his part of the meeting quickly before turning the floor over to the youngest ship commander in attendance. Soleta stood and made her way over to the boxes and began speaking.

"With extended simulations and research, Commander Donatra and myself have reached a conclusion, as Admiral Braeg said. If you were to tune your weapons to the same frequency as the cloaking device, you could fire your weapons while cloaked. However, some ships may not be able to do that because of the considerable power drain the cloaking device on the power core. If there were a way to combat this problem, I would gladly offer it. However, that is a more difficult problem to solve," Soleta said, her facial expression that of a Vulcan.

One of the Romulan ship commanders spoke up via the channel that had been set up.

"_I believe that if one were to connect the cloaking device to the warp core instead of the power systems, that problem could be solved. However, warp speed would be reduced from… say Warp Ten to Warp Seven,_" Commander Ch'Ren suggested. She was an older commander with background roots in warp science. Fleet rumor even had it that she had worked closely with Kirk's _Enterprise_.

"Perhaps that would work," Soleta granted the elder woman, "Perhaps you would volunteer to test it on your ship?"

"_I already have,_" Ch'Ren said, "_It works far better than hooking it up to the power core, that's for sure._"

Soleta nodded, "Then it is decided. If cloaking devices are already connected to your power cores, find a technician who has been certified so that this plan may be put in place."

Captain Hiram Jackson of the cargo ship _Azure Moon_ scoffed at the young woman, "Why not just do it ourselves?"

"Because cloaking devices are tricky pieces of equipment, Captain Jackson. One wrong move and your entire ship and crew will be floating specks of space dust," Soleta said calmly. Donatra knew she was struggling to maintain her composure.

Jackson merely grunted and held his peace, allowing Soleta to continue.

"Anyway, before you leave the station for any missions, make sure that you can fire while cloaked and remain cloaked for more than ten minutes. Test your warp capability before leaving the station, as well, and report any changes in warp speed to Admiral Shelby, who will log that and create a system to maintain maximum warp power as a group," Soleta ended right there and gave up the floor to Admiral T'Mir Tucker, who almost had to stand on her toes to be seen over the boxes.

"Thank you, Commander, for the advice. Now, each ship will receive an assignment that they will carry out while accompanied by a task group. There will be six task groups, each with its own flagship."

"Why does each group have its own flagship? Why not one master control center?" Commander Christine Vale of the _Titan_ asked, clearly confused.

"Bravo Station will be the control center, Commander Vale, however, if Starfleet Command sends a fleet to occupy the station, each task group will need to take its own route to the next assigned meeting place. Therefore, a flagship for each group," Tucker explained.

"Oh. That actually makes sense now," Vale said sheepishly. Donatra pitied the human woman. Clearly she knew she had asked a stupid question and was now embarrassed by it.

"Each group will have a generic name that each may change as they please, as long as they alert Central Command of the new designation. Task Group: Alpha will be led by the _Enterprise_ and its missions will focus around territory closer to Earth. Task Group: Beta will be led by the _Valdore_ and its mission will mainly be centralized around Romulan interests closer to Romulus.

"Task Group: Charlie will be led by the _Voyager_ and will primarily focus on gaining allies in the Gamma Quadrant, with the help of the _Defiant_. Task Group: Delta will be headed by the _T'Kiya_ and will focus on attempting to gain the allegiance of the Maquis. Task Group: Gamma will be led by the _Excalibur_ and will be tasked with the protection of whatever station we are currently calling Central Command. And finally, Task Group: Omega will be led by the _Azure Moon_ and will seek out new allies amongst various cargo ships and other organizations. If you have any question, contact me and I will answer any that you may have. Thank you for your time. Dismissed."

Tucker ended the meeting quickly and walked out, followed by Captain Picard, who seemed to be in deep discussion with Commander Worf about something. The others filed out quickly, leaving the room empty save for Donatra and Braeg.

"Well," she began, "Alone at long last."

"Indeed," he replied with a small smile.

"Your place or mine?" she asked simply.

Braeg grinned, "A woman after my own heart. Of course, mine, as it actually is closer."

She said nothing as he led her off to his quarters on the station. They were too busy to talk.

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

T'Mir Tucker leaned against the railing and observed the crowd below her. The young couple next to her didn't even notice her. She pretended as if she had never seen them as they moved off to one of the rec rooms, which had been turned into a makeshift bar.

T'Mir was so focused on her thoughts that she never saw the person next to her. A hand rested on her shoulder and she turned, startled. One of the cargo ship captains was beside her. Much to her surprise, the human man looked familiar.

"Captain Solo?" she asked.

Han Solo grinned, "One and the same. Chewie's keeping the engine warm."

"Why are you here?" T'Mir demanded.

Han looked confused for a second, then smiled, "Well, I'm here because I'm representing the Smuggler's Guild in this matter. The Romulans have been disrupting our business lately around the wormhole, so we can't get legit supplies through to the Federation or anyone else. In fact, the only way I got here was because some renegades helped me through by using their cloaking devices to shield me from their sensors."

"Well, I would invite you to speak with Captain Hiram Jackson of the cargo ship _Azure Moon_. And report to Commander Suran for a cloaking device and then to Admiral Shelby for a technician to help install it. Do not attempt it on your own," T'Mir ordered.

Solo nodded, gave a mock salute, then walked off.

"Who was that?" a voice asked behind her. T'Mir turned to see Kathryn Janeway behind her.

"A representative of the Smuggler's Guild. They have been harassed by the Romulans lately, so they logically requested assistance in this matter. Captain Solo agreed to join the fleet," T'Mir explained succinctly. Janeway smiled.

"Listen, I need a favor. Apparently, someone changed my DNA to reflect that of an Augmentee like Khan. I need to find out who did it. Can you find out for me?" Kathryn asked.

"I can tell you what I know," T'Mir said, "Perhaps we should find a more, private setting for this."

Janeway followed her into an empty room, where they could discuss the topic in privacy.

! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !

Admiral Leonard James Akaar stood on the bridge of the _Endeavour_, a newer ship that led a massive fleet. A fleet destined to stop an insurrection before it started.

"Time to Bravo Station?" he asked the captain. Lydia Markell glanced over at him.

"Ten minutes, Admiral," she replied. Markell was rumored to be rather supportive of the movement, but with Akaar aboard, she could do nothing to help them. Which was why he had picked this ship as the flagship.

"Sir, sensors are picking up massive traces of… radiation in our way. It appears as if we have a baby nebula in front of us, but visuals show nothing," the science officer reported. Suddenly, the tactical officer jumped up.

"Admiral! Numerous ships decloaking ahead. We're being hailed, by two of the ships," the man reported, his face pale. Akaar stared in shock at the massive amount of ships ahead. There had to be at least fifty, more than twice the number he had under his command.

"Put it through," he ordered the comm officer. The faces of an attractive Romulan woman and a human woman appeared.

"Captain Mueller. Order your forces to stand down. We outnumber you," Akaar bluffed.

The Romulan woman scowled at him, "_Admiral Akaar. I am Commander Donatra. Your bluff is ill-perceived, as we have almost twice the number of ships you do. And we have some others on the way."_

Mueller grinned slightly, "_I concur, Commander. We have quite a few tricks up our sleeve."_

Mueller activated a device and they cloaked. The entire fleet disappeared. The _Endeavour_ shook as multiple torpedoes struck home. Akaar retained his footing.

"Where the hell are they!?" he yelled above the klaxons blaring on the bridge.

"I don't know, sir," Markell said, "I think they're cloaked and firing at us."

"Impossible," Akaar scoffed. A single ship decloaked. It was ugly and boxy, but had a distinct sense of confidence.

A human man appeared on screen. Behind him was a strange furry creature, which roared its displeasure at Akaar.

_"Admiral. I'm Captain Han Solo, representing the Smuggler's Guild. Your alliance with the Romulans is against our agreement that we would work together to get supplies through when needed."_

"My apologies that you are constantly late with your shipments recently. So far, you have missed seventeen deadlines for shipments-" Akaar began before Solo cut him off.

_"Really, Admiral. Romulan harassment has blocked our shipments to you. In fact, the only reason I'm here is because the Romulan renegades used their cloaks to shield me from the Praetor's sensor emplacements. That bitch is going down, whether you like it or not. Solo out!_" the smuggler cut the channel and recloaked. More weapons fire rained down upon them until the entire fleet was forced to retreat.

Later, as Akaar was giving a status report to President Bacco, he realized something. Maybe they had spies in their fleet. Maybe that's how the enemy had know they were coming. He would have to do full checks of every single person who had been in the fleet he had commanded. Damn.

**AN- So here it is. The second chapter to this new story. Enjoy!**


End file.
